Hunting the Hunter
by Bubblenuggets
Summary: When Rouge becomes the target for a group of extremely skilled bounty hunters, Shadow makes a decision to join G.U.N as Rouge's partner in order to help her track this group and put an end to them. But since they are the World's Greatest Treasure Hunter and the Ultimate Life Form, this should prove to be a simple mission, right?
1. Chapter 1

_Something isn't right..._The black and red hedgehog thought. Shadow attempted to shift his position on the couch hoping it would ease the thoughts attempting to wake him from his sleep. Much to his surprise, he found a large amount of weight on top of him preventing him from moving with ease.

_What the-? _He thought. Shadow slowly began opening his eyes. They widened at the site that was presented in front of him. His head jolted back

A female white bat sat on top of the Ultimate Life Form's stomach with her elbows pressed into his chest. Her hands were underneath her chin supporting her head. She held a wicked grin upon her face."Mornin', Handsome." She purred.

Shadow turned his head so his nose was no longer pressed against her's. "Rouge" He muttered before attempting to remove the treasure hunter off of him without hurting her.

Rouge giggled as she slid beside the hedgehog. "What's the matter, Shadow? I thought you'd like waking up to a pretty girl like me,hm?"

He swung his legs off the side of the couch and shook his head. Shadow had been staying with Rouge after the invasion of the Black Aliens. Commander Abraham Towers thought it would be best if he was kept under watch by a G.U.N operative in case he decided to go rogue again. Now he had come to an understanding that perhaps the commander had intended this to be a punishment for him instead.

Rouge, much to everyone's surprise, did not mind having to accommodate her home for the black and red hedgehog. In fact, she had told him time and time again that he could stay as long as he wanted to. Though Shadow made it very clear that he only intended to stay two, maybe three weeks at most.

However, much to the hedgehog's dismay he found himself still residing in the crazed female bat's apartment for over three months now. Rouge had been very persistent in his staying with her. He was unsure if it was because she enjoyed his company or if it was a mission to keep him by her side for a hefty reward.

"Isn't it too early for this, Rouge?" Shadow grunted rubbing the back of his neck which was sore from so many nights of sleeping on the bat's couch.

She smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Nah. I have to get to work soon."

"And why did you wake me up if you are the one that has to go to work?"

"Cause the Commander wants to see you. He never calls to see how I'm doing but he always seems to want to know how you're doing." Rouge replied with annoyance in her voice.

Shadow's ears perked up. "Did he say why?"

Rouge rolled her eyes and unwrapped her arms from his neck. "I don't know, Shadow. Why don't you just come with me and find out?" She snapped back. The bat stood up from the couch to grab her boots which were by the door to her bedroom. She slipped them on and turned her attention back to the black hedgehog. "So ya coming or what?"

Shadow just sighed and slowly stood up from the couch. "I guess I don't have anything better to do."

They soon arrived at G.U.N Headquarters. Rouge and Shadow sat in front of a large chestnut colored desk waiting for the Commander to arrive. Rouge anxiously shook her leg which was crossed across her other leg. She crossed her arms and scoffed." Hmph. How dare he wake me up so early just to have me waiting this long."

The black hedgehog just rolled his eyes. But his roommate was he was busy, then he shouldn't have requested to see them so soon.

Hearing the door shut from behind them, they turned their heads to see the elder human approaching them with a large file in his hands. He sat at his desk and with out hesitation stated his reason for asking them both to come in. "Shadow, I want you to join G.U.N."

Both Rouge and Shadow were taken back by his sudden proposal. Rouge was the first to comment. "Well, that was certainly unexpected."

Shadow's eyes locked with Commander Towers'. He was trying to find any sign of trickery. There was no logical explanation as to why he would want Shadow to work with them. Not too long ago they were trying to kill each other and though they had somewhat made peace with each other, if seemed like a rather unusual offer.

"Why would you want me to join the group of people who were responsible for the destruction of everything I held dear to me?" He growled.

Rouge's ears dropped. She had almost forgotten how awful G.U.N. had been in the past. She tried to inform Shadow that many of the people who were responsible for his tragic past were probably dead or in retirement at this point. However her words fell on deaf ears. Shadow still held a deep hatred for them despite him making the decision to no longer live in the past.

Commander Towers closed his eyes and folded his hands over the documents on his desk. "I know your reasons for hating our organization and I don't object to your feelings at all. But we could use someone like you on our side. You proved yourself very useful during the Black Alien invasion."

"So your saying you just want me with you so you don't ever have to be against me? Pheh, figures. I'll have to decline your offer."

Just as Shadow was about to stand up to leave, Rouge grabbed his wrist. Shadow looked at her but her gaze was still at Commander Towers. "There's something more you have to say, isn't there?"

Shadow pulled his arm away from Rouge. He turned back to the Commander with his arms crossed. "Fine. I'm listening."

Towers gave Rouge a nod to show his gratitude and continued speaking to the hedgehog. "We've gotten a mission that is rather dangerous for one operative to do on their own. Rouge is our strongest agent, but I'd rather her not do this mission by herself."

"Hold on just a minute!" The bat shouted slamming her hands on the desk. "You're saying that I can't handle a mission on my own so you want Shadow to join just to help me on one lousy mission!? That's not fair to either of us!"

Shadow smirked at his roommate's outburst. The Commander sighed knowing he was losing the focus of both of them. "Let me continue, Miss Rouge. Anyway, Rouge has reject working with anyone else in our team. However, we have noticed that she seems to have, well for lack of a better word, grown fond of working with you and would probably not mind having to work with you for future assignments. Do you still protest, Miss Rouge?"

Both men turned to Rouge, who was desperately trying to suppress the blood flow to her cheeks. Half out of frustration that G.U.N felt she needed a partner after so long of her working alone and half due to the fact that she had been spending so much time with the damn hedgehog that people were starting to thinking something was going on between them. "I work just fine on my own. Shadow has already declined. So I think we'll just go now."

"Wait a second, Rouge. There's still more to this, right?"Shadow responded almost in mockery of Rouge trying to delay his leaving.

The female bat glared at the Commander "Stop beating around the bush. What is this really about?!" She said venomously.

With a sigh Towers opened the files on his desk revealing a wanted poster for the infamous treasure hunter. This one was different than an average wanted flyer. It just had the words "WANTED" across it bold letters with a picture of the bat and the letter "S" in bold next to her name He handed it to her. "This was brought to our attention just a few days ago."

Rouge took the wanted flyer from him. She was confused. Upon beginning to work for G.U.N, she had been told her crimes of theft would be considered voided. She had been taken off of the bounty list. "I don't understand..."

"That is a wanted flyer from the Black-market. Their bounties are done by ranks. The higher rank a person is the more money they are worth. As of right now, you are ranked at S class making you worth anywhere between 10 million-20 million dollars. Unlike government issued bounties, bounties from the Black-market aren't done with arrest. The person has to be killed in order for them to collect payment. With such a high price on your head, you are bound to become target for some pretty skilled hunters."

Shadow had suddenly found interest in the conversation. He wasn't so much interested in what would have to Rouge as he was that something like this could happen. "Why would Rouge be worth so much to these people though?" He asked

"Rouge is a skilled fighter so she will be a challenge. She is an agent and master jewel thei-"

"Treasure hunter!" She interrupted with a look of disgust on her face.

Commander Towers froze momentarily but soon continued, "A master treasure hunter which I guess they would assume her to be rather weathly. Plus rumor has it that she has a rather skilled companion on her side." He said eyeing the Ultimate Life Form.

"So you want me to join G.U.N to be Rouge's bodyguard? Why wouldn't you just ask me to keep her safe?" Shadow asked annoyed.

"Well yes and no. Rouge is strong enough to hold her own, but to be fighting down bounty hunter after bounty hunter, eventually she will wear herself out. It would be easier to have some extra help. Not just for this mission, any mission really. As I said before, she has rejected every agent we offer to help her, but you might be different."

"Heh, you talk about me like I'm not even here, Commander." the bat interrupted again. She stood up from her seat and crossed her arms. "I don't need a partner, though it could be a lot of trouble if these hunters are as skilled as you say they are. Plus I guess, if you are insisting that I get a partner, I guess I wouldn't mind having tall, dark, and handsome over here." She nudged her head towards Shadow giving him a wink.

"Well, Shadow, what do you say?" Towers questioned him.

The black and crimson hedgehog sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I don't have anything better to do anyway."

The Commander nodded. "Alright then. You are now part of my team and assigned as Rouge's partner. Your first assignment as a team is to infiltrate this Black-market and shut it down. We can't have any more of our agents targeted by them. Don't make me regret this decision."

Shadow nodded as he turned to leave the room and Rouge saluted as she followed her newly appointed partner.

Author's Notes:

I was in a writing mood again and felt like writing another Shadouge fic. I don't expect this to be too long, but I hope it's still interesting. Please read and review. Thanks! Until next time


	2. Chapter 2

The hedgehog and bat spent the next week mostly in the apartment. Shadow knew his partner wouldn't admit it, but she was on edge with every reason to be. She had never been targeted to kill before. Shadow knew the feeling well for just a few months back, the very same people he was now working for, was trying to hunt him down for the kill. Plus he had been targeted by the Black Aliens as well when they found out his intentions to betray them.

Shadow was curious himself as to why he had cared if this so called group of skilled hunters had plans to kill the treasure hunter. It wasn't as though she was or had been any use to him.

_That's a lie and you know it. _A voice in the back of his head nagged him. He supposed the voice was right. If it wasn't for Rouge, he'd still be trapped in the Doctor's lab along with his violent robotic friend, Omega, whom he now considered his best friend. On top of that she helped him obtain several of the Chaos Emeralds during the invasion, despite knowing his ill intentions of using them. She never questioned him or judged him. She always just went along with whatever he said which ,according to Sonic and his friends, was very unusual for her.

He was unaware of how long he was staring at the white bat from across the kitchen table, but she had taken notice. "To what do I owe the honor of your attention, hun?" She asked with a faint smirk on her face trying to lighten the mood. She ran the tips of her index fingers up and down the mug of coffee she held in her hands.

Shadow snapped out of his thoughts and looked away from her without a reply. There was a moment of silence before Rouge let out a heavy sigh. "Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing." He quickly responded.

She rolled her eyes."Fine then. Do you want to talk about this mission then? You know if we're going to be working together now the least you could do is talk to me a little more."

"We are strictly doing business, that does not mean I have to talk to you anymore than I have to."

The white bat leaned back in her chair and buried her face in her hands. "Ugggghhh. Whatever, Shadow. Back to this mission..."

"We need to draw them out. Let them come to us first. We need to learn who our enemies are and where their skill levels are at. It would be unwise to go searching for them not knowing what we are up against." He stood up from the wooden chair. "Staying hidden in your apartment all day is not going to do us any good."

Rouge crossed her legs and took a sip of her coffee."Who says I'm hiding?"

"You've been home all week. All this time I've spent living with you and you were practically never home."

She sat silently narrowing her eyes at the black and red hedgehog. She knew he was right but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. Rouge pushed her chair away from the table and stood up with her mug in her hands. "So wanna take me out for dinner tonight then since you seem to want me out of the house sooo bad?"

Rouge gave Shadow a smirk as he rolled his eyes."What ever you want, Princess." He said mockingly. "I'm going out for a bit. Try to stay out of trouble."

"You're going to leave me home alone?"

"I won't be gone long.I just need to do some thinking. I'll be close to the house if anything."

The bat frowned. "Fine then see you later, handsome."

Shadow rested his hand on the door knob of the apartment. He glanced behind him for a second to see Rouge waving goodbye. He nodded before opening the door and exiting the apartment closing the door behind him.

Rouge let out a heavy sigh before throwing herself onto the couch. She had to admit she was relieved that Shadow left the apartment. She had been feeling tense all day thinking about the assassins that were going to be coming after her. Shadow wasn't making things any easier with his constant mocking of how she wasn't fit to be taking on so many enemies. And it wasn't as though she could argue since he was right about her skill level.

She held her hands up in front of her which had been trembling since the black and red hedgehog left. "C'mon, Rouge, pull yourself together. You have to prove to Shadow your a lot stronger than he thinks." She whispered silently.

Despite her efforts, she couldn't get her hands to stop trembling nor could she ease the anxious feeling she had in her chest.

Taking several deep breaths she attempted to calm herself down with no luck. Rouge closed her eyes. "I need a shower." She sighed.

Rouge rose from off the couch and headed to her small white and black bathroom. The essentials of the bathroom seemed to be on top of each other. The tub and shower were against the far wall across from the door. Beside that was a small sink with an elegant black mirror above it. Across from the sink was a black porcelain toilet.

She slid the glass shower door open and began running the water. She waited until the temperature suited her, which didn't take long due to her enjoying very hot showers.

She slid of her purple jumpsuit. When it reached her ankles she kicked the rest of it off and kicked it a few inches away from her. She removed her bra and panties as well before stepping into the hot shower before sliding the glass door closed.

The water splashed on her tan skin. She closed her eyes and dipped her head into the water letting the droplets of water massage her scalp. She began feeling her muscles relax in the heat and steam.

A smile began to form on her face as she began to feel more and more relaxed. But her moment of serenity was cut short by a noise outside her bathroom door. Her sensitive ears perked up as a reaction to the noise. _Shadow's back so soon?_

She was about to call out for her partner but she stopped herself. _What if it isn't Shadow?_Rouge slowly slid the glass door open and tiptoed her way out of the shower turning off the water as fast as she could. She grabbed a towel off of the towel rack hanging between the shower and sink and began to quickly dry herself off.

Rouge tossed the towel to the side and picked up her jumpsuit. She struggled to pull it on over her damp skin. Once it was up enough to cover most of her large chest, she crept close to the bathroom door.

She pressed her ear against the door listening for anymore noise. There was none. "Maybe I'm just too paranoid." She muttered to herself.

Rouge slowly opened the bathroom door and stuck her head out of the door. She continued to move herself out of the bathroom and into the small hallway connecting to her living room and bedroom.

She tiptoed through the hallway into the living room. She observed the room. Everything seemed to be in order. Nothing out of the ordinary. Rouge felt her heart pounding through her chest. The anxiety was really getting to her.

Placing her right hand over her left breast, she took a couple deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down.

"You're much pretty than I thought you'd be for a jewel thief." A deep voice with a heavy southern accent said from behind her.

She spun around quickly and without hesitation swung a kick to the stomach of the trespasser.

He swiftly stepped back out of her reach. Rouge readied herself for an attack as she observed the intruder. He was a large grey male bat with wings darker than Shadow's fur. She noticed a piece of his left ear was missing and the tips of his ears were a darker gray than his fur. He began to make his way towards Rouge. "Don't worry I'm not here to kill you...yet. It's no fun without a fight. I just came to...observe my prey so to say."

Rouge gritted her teeth. "Well, sorry to disappoint you but I don't exactly like to play games with my life on the line." She hissed at him as she moved her way to him for another attack. She attempted several strikes with her kicks but all of them in vain. He was just too fast.

_His speed is incredible. He's almost as fast as Shadow! _ She didn't get much time to think before the grey bat made his move. He swept a kick under Rouge's leg which sent her crashing onto her carpeted floor.

"I thought you'd be more of a challenge for me, Rougie. But your just another play thing. Just much cuter." Will she was still on the floor, he went to elbow her in the stomach.

She stopped his elbow from doing any real damage by blocking the attack with her arms. After stopping that attack she sent a powerful kick into his stomach. This time her attack hit and sent the male bat flying backward.

Using his wings, he balanced himself out from her attack. As Rouge was picking herself off the floor, he pulled a gun from his side. Rouge's eyes widened. It had been too dark in the hallway for her to see that he had concealed a weapon from her. She looked around at her surroundings and saw that their fight had caused her to be on the longer side of the hallway. She wouldn't be able to dodge the bullet in such a small space._Shit! _

"I suppose I can at least grant you the name of your assassin, . My name is Nyx the Bat. And it has been a pleasure, though I wish you were more fun."

Rouge fell back to the floor. How could she be so stupid?She let him get the advantage over her. She shut her eyes expecting to hear a bang from the gun.

"AHH!" Nyx shouted in pain.

The white bat opened her eyes to see her black and red partner standing behind the grey bat. Shadow had dislocated his right arm causing him to drop the gun. Nyx fell to the floor cradling his arm. "I forgot about your rodent boyfriend. This isn't over yet bat girl." A yellowish light filled the room and just like that, he was gone.

The two agents looked shocked. "W-was that Chaos Control?" Rouge asked Shadow.

"I think so. It felt the same." He shook his head and turned his attention to the female bat on the floor."Are you alright?" He asked her.

She nodded quickly standing back up hoping Shadow didn't see her defeat. He took her side and observed her for any injuries. Aside from noticing a few bruises forming on her arms, he noticed her outfit was sticking to her tighter than usual. He grabbed her waist and felt the dampness of the clothing.

Rouge gasped and slapped his hand off of her. Her face turned a deep shade of red. "And just what the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

Shadow pulled his hand away from her and smirked. "Why are you wet?"

"I was in the shower before I so rudely got attacked by an assassin!"

"Do you still want me to take you to dinner?"

"Wah-?" Rouge began to question him. What was with all this randomness all of a sudden? Is he just trying to change the topic? "Not after the way you just grabbed me!" She snapped back at him.

"Fine. Then we'll order take out." Shadow began to make his way to the living room.

Rouge silently followed after him. She wanted to thank him for showing up to her rescue but she wasn't sure how to go about it. Would he even appreciate her thanks? "Shadow I...I just-" She began but she was cut off."

"Your fighting skills suck. At this rate, that little pink hedgehog that follows Sonic around all day has a better chance against you."

Rouge's face turned red again. This time out of anger and embarrassment. "Are you telling me you think the pink rat is stronger than me?!"

The black hedgehog took a seat on the couch. The furious bat was now standing in front of him. He could literally feel the heat of rage coming off of her body. "Not exactly."

"Wait. How would you have known my tactics are a mess unless..."

"I was watching you fight."

"You bastard! I could've gotten killed!"

"Relax. I wasn't going to let him hurt you. I stepped in when I had to. Though I wouldn't have had to step in if you were as skilled a fighter as you claim yourself to be."

Her fist clenched in anger. "So you're telling me I'm weak now?!"

Shadow sighed. "I'm saying you don't know how to fight properly. Your tactics are a mess. Weakness and lack of form are two different things. You are not weak. On the contrary, you are one of the strongest people I have come across."

She began to calm down and took a seat beside Shadow. "So...so what do you think I should do?"

Shadow looked over at Rouge who was looking at him. She looked sad and scared that she wouldn't be able to defend herself should she be attacked again. He looked down at the carpet. "You fight too much like a G.U.N solider. You need to learn how to fight like an assassin. With no mercy. You have to stop being afraid to kill if necessary."

"I-I've never had to fight someone to kill before." Rouge responded back. "I wouldn't even know where to learn to fight like that."

They sat in silence for a few turned to her. "I could teach you."

Rouge could hear the pain in Shadow's voice. It wasn't as though he chose to learn to fight like that. It was the reason for his existence. His whole life has been about revenge and having to protect himself from those wishing to see him dead.

The bat felt a lump in her throat. She knew having to train with Shadow wasn't going to be easy, but what choice did she have? She didn't want to die because of her lack of skill. She grabbed Shadow's hand and squeezed it. "I'd love to have you teach me."

The black and crimson hedgehog smirked."You will regret saying that in a couple of days."

She grinned and reached over for her phone on the end table. "Ah, we'll see about that. But now that this is over for now, how about pizza?"

_Author's Notes:_

Ok so this was a long chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently. I just wanted to make sure that I knew where this was going before I continued it. Hope you Read and review! Thank you!


End file.
